Rise of the Union - previously ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE
by AelunaSheWolf
Summary: My take on Rise of the Guardians 2 - Pitch has a new ally, and she's even darker than he is. This time, more is at stake than just children's happiness ; now, it's a fight to the death - The Guardians see Jack's memories, Pitch Black is Back, and MiM chooses a new guardian. This is set to be their biggest challenge to date! Jack Frost X OC , with some family bonding and pranks too!
1. Story Details

**Story: Rise of the Union****  
**

**_Full Story Summary: _My take on Rise of the Guardians 2 - Pitch has a new ally, and she's even darker than he is. This time, more is at stake than just children's happiness ; now, it's a fight to the death - The Guardians see Jack's memories, Pitch Black is Back, and MiM chooses a new guardian. This is set to be their biggest challenge to date! Jack Frost X OC , with some family bonding and pranks too!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Story: Rise of the Union****  
**

**_Full Story Summary: _My take on Rise of the Guardians 2 - Pitch has a new ally, and she's even darker than he is. This time, more is at stake than just children's happiness ; now, it's a fight to the death - The Guardians see Jack's memories, Pitch Black is Back, and MiM chooses a new guardian. This is set to be their biggest challenge to date! Jack Frost X OC , with some family bonding and pranks too!**

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Jack Frost was considered by almost everyone who knew him a rather attractive guy, and those who knew the real him also knew he was incredibly brave and selfless. His death three-hundred-and-something years ago proved that, although it was something he refused to ever mention and there fore was his own little secret. He didn't want anyone knowing that, because it was a sad and uncomfortable fact for him, and that was why he refused to tell them. The fact he was a guardian didn't help much, either - very few people could see him, sadly. He didn't mind, for his fellow Guardians were very good company, if a little peculiar - or a lot peculiar - but that didn't make him like them any less. Only a few people believed in him - he could count them on the fingers on one of his hands, and sadly, except for Jamie Bennett's younger sister, none of the original group of believers still knew he existed - they had grown up, and thus, ended up thinking that their memories of the Guardians were just illusions, or imagination. This hit Jack the hardest of all the immortal beings, because they were the first people to ever acknowledge his existence.

Having died before being turned into who he was today, Jack had very little knowledge of his memories and history, which had bamboozled his main company, the Guardians, for they all had clear memories of their past, but then of course, they did not know the boy's biggest secret. Jack was terrified that one day, they would realise and would judge him, and not like him because of it. He knew deep down that they would never do that, but after three hundred years of being alone, he couldn't be too careful to not to end up like it again.

As he sped around the town he had once grown up in, although it was admittedly many years ago, he decided things were too boring here right now. He couldn't play with any children, even if they didn't see him, for it was just gone midnight and besides, it was summer. Ice in summer would only survive for about half an hour or so - even if it was a lot colder at night, it wasn't below zero degrees and therefore, there could be no ice. Sighing, he stood up from the roof he was sat on and called out, "Wind, take me to the United Kingdom!", jumping into the rush of air as it began to blow.

About four or five minutes later, he reached a small little country village, and hopped off of the wind, walking towards the nearest house. It was small, and Jack guessed a poor family lived there. It could only have been a single room and yet, because of his powers as a Guardian, he could sense at least seven or eight people in the house.

The winter sun of England, contrasting with the summer sun in the US, was refreshing for Jack, and holding his staff, had tapped the wall of the wooden building, enjoying himself as the first frost spread over the walls. No matter how long he'd been doing his job for, he still loved the excitement the first frosting brought him.

Holding his staff tightly, he flew into the air, cheering wildly as he tore through the streets, leaving behind him a trail of snow and ice. Once he had finished 'touching up' the town, he then flew back to the small wooden bungalow, excited to see if he knew the inhabitants, even though he'd never seen anyone in England before - he preferred America. It appeared as if they had moved here not too long ago, and judging by the fact that the house seemed poorly put together, they really were on their last pennies. Jack felt a little bad, because true snow would surely chill the house, but at the same time, all kids enjoyed snow, right?

Right on cue, six children ran outside, screaming happily as they kicked up the snow, throwing snowballs at eachother with no mercy. Two people remained at the door, aNd judging by their faces, neither was pleased to see snow, and it didn't take Jack long to find out why.

"What are we going to do, Mother?" The younger asked, and the elder, more fragile, woman replied, "I don't know, Sweetheart. We haven't got any money or resources to patch up the walls, and its bitingly cold. After playing in the snow, the kids are gonna be frozen to death, as well, later, and there isn't even any dry wood to start a fire." Jack's heart sank. He felt a strange pull towards the younger girl, but he wasn't sure why, and there was one thing he would make sure - that these people didn't freeze tonight. Catching the wind, he quickly sped off.

After about half an hour, he returned to the little house, his hands full of dry supplies, and some food which he had gotten from Jamie's little sister, from his hometown, All wrapped up in an old blanket the child had found under her bed. The family had gone inside, and when he peered through the planked up window, he saw them all huddled together in a corner of the room that seemed less holey than the rest of the house walls, and a small blanket pulled over them. Jack sighed, and placed the wood, paper, cardboard and the food, which consisted of a loaf of bread, a large multipack bag of crisps and some pasta - FRESH pasta as well - just outside the door, before making a block of ice materialise and carving the words 'A gift from Jack Frost, and sorry for the snow." Pausing, he then reached inside his hoodie and pulled from the pocket a large, just-gone-past-the-best-before-date bar of chocolate. Admittedly he'd found it in the rubbbish bin outside a small supermarket, but seeing as it wasnt actually touching any rubbish, it was fine. He wasnt originally foing to tive it to them because it was past its best, but in all honesty, he doubted the family would mind, and something sweet is always nice. As for the carving in the ice, He knew the elder people would most likely not believe him, but it would at least give the younger ones some joy. Who knew, they might even see him!

Making a few snowballs and freezing them, he proceeded to knock on the door by throwing them at it, and he saw the pale, older woman open the door, looking afraid, followed by the poor girl, and he figured she was worried it was the tax man, or something. When she noticed the bundle on the floor, no doubt smelling the food, her face split into such a wide grin that filled Jack with such a joy. She walked inside, and the younger girl who he had seen earlier looked at his ice block, confusion making a frown on her face. Jack laughed, and bent down in the snow, drawing the rough outline of a wolf. The wild canine had always been his favourite creature for as long as he could remember and therefore, he screwed his eyes up in concentration and made the creature alive. He laughed as it bounded around him, and he heard a gasp from behind. He'd forgotten humans could still see his snow-animals, but when the girl gasped, "Jack Frost," he stood stiff as well, frozen by shock.

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**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The best review will get a dedication on my page!**

**Also, there is a preview for the next chapter below:**

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_She had said his name. He was certain of that much, at least, but whether she believed in him or not was another matter. No young adults that Jack knew of believed in any of the Guardians, let alone the least well known of them all, and yet it appeared the girl did._

_The snow wolf circled through the girl's legs, and then returned to Jack, sitting obediently beside him, licking its paw as the two humans - well, one Human, one guardian - stared wide eyes at one another, until the girl broke the eye contact and spun around._

_"M-mother." she said, "I'm going to take a walk and see if there is any work in town." Jack heard a mumbled "Okay," and "We'll leave you some food," in reply, and the girl walked towards him._

_"Who are you?" She hissed, her eyes flashing, "Why are you here - to make fun of us? 'A gift from Jack Frost' - bah! How dare you say such a thing? If the children had read it, d'you know how they'd have reacted? It would break their hearts when they found out Jack Frost wasn't real!"_


	3. Chapter 2

**Story: Rise of the Union****  
**

**_Full Story Summary: _My take on Rise of the Guardians 2 - Pitch has a new ally, and she's even darker than he is. This time, more is at stake than just children's happiness ; now, it's a fight to the death - The Guardians see Jack's memories, Pitch Black is Back, and MiM chooses a new guardian. This is set to be their biggest challenge to date! Jack Frost X OC , with some family bonding and pranks too!**

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**Chapter two! I hope you like it and I hope you'll review more - didn't get even one last chapter! *Sobs* **

**From now on, the best reviewer will have the chapter dedicated to them, and I'll review ****one of their stories, if I've seen / know of the category. If that wasn't enough, I'll even post a link to the story in my next update with my thoughts on the story!  
**

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She had said his name. He was certain of that much, at least, but whether she believed in him or not was another matter. No young adults that Jack knew of believed in any of the Guardians, let alone the least well known of them all, and yet it appeared the girl did.

The snow wolf circled through the girl's legs, and then returned to Jack, sitting obediently beside him, licking its paw as the two humans - well, one Human, one guardian - stared wide eyes at one another, until the girl broke the eye contact and spun around.

"M-mother." she said, "I'm going to take a walk and see if there is any work in town." Jack heard a mumbled "Okay," and "We'll leave you some food," in reply, and the girl walked towards him.

"Who are you?" She hissed, her eyes flashing, "Why are you here - to make fun of us? 'A gift from Jack Frost' - bah! How dare you say such a thing? If the children had read it, d'you know how they'd have reacted? It would break their hearts when they found out Jack Frost wasn't real!"

Jack shrunk back, his eyes full of sadness.

"I really am Jack Frost," he said, and held his staff tightly. "Surely the wolf proves that?"

The girl scoffed. "You can't fool me. I'm too old to hope for a miracle. I don't believe in fairies coming at night and leaving money under your pillow, or an oversized rabbit hiding Easter eggs everywhere. As for Santa, get real! That 'wolf' is just a hybrid, part snow wolf, part dog. You can't fool me." She paused, sighing. "I've outgrown hope. All there is in life is pain, suffering and work. Survival is like a game, but you've only got the one life, and who knows how long it'll last?"

Jack shook his head, white hair falling into his eyes. "How can I prove to you that I'm Jack Frost?" He asked, and placed his hand on her bare, goose-bump arms, making her flinch away.

"You are so cold! Don't do that!" She cried, and glared at him.

"Is that not enough proof for you? Impossibly cold body temperature?" He asked, and she shook her head stubbornly.

"I don't believe in hope. Easy's for the Tourists." She said, waving her frozen arms dramatically, then hugging them to her chest. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going back inside, I can't stay out here." With that, she huffed and spun around, and Jack really felt sorry for her, with her tattered, patched up, thin dress. Okay for summer, but not that great for this time of the year.

As the spirit of winter, Jack naturally knew all about ice and snow, meaning he also knew how an igloo worked. Flying the the top of the house, he coated all the walls in a thick block of ice, leaving only the door un-frozen. Walking inside, he then proceeded to freeze the door frame halfway with ice, so that only the bottom half was left open, and then, noticing to his relief that most of the family was, by now, asleep, except the girl who was watching him, glaring, he picked up a piece of wood and a small, miraculously dry stick he'd found outside, and began rubbing them together, but to no avail - his body temperature was simply too low.

"You shouldn't just barge into people's houses, you know." The girl snarled, eating a slice of bread slowly, savouring the taste. Groaning she added, "Give it here, let me do it." And soon, the small plank was alight. She was about to put more wood on it, but Jack stopped her.

"Whether you believe me or not, I've placed a thick wall of ice around the edges of your house, like an igloo, because it will make it miraculously warmer in here. Believe me, I know, especially considering it's minus fifteen degrees celcius or so outside. By all means have a small fire, but not too big, or the ice might start to melt. I left a small hole in the roof so smoke could get away, but I am not sure how effective it will be."

"That's stupid!" she snapped, "You can't make ice just like that!" Jack's wolf just wagged its tail, and Jack stood up.

"Oh yeah?" He said, "Watch this." Tapping one of the inside walls of the house, a layer of frost spread over in the shape of a snowflake, and he heard a muffled thud, spinning to see the girl lying in a faint after seeing his 'trick'.

"Poor thing's probably going to think she's gone mad." He thought, shaking his head. Pulling the thin cover, and the slightly thicker old blanket he'd wrapped the food and wood in, over the girl, he then crawled outside, his new snow wolf waiting patiently by his side.

"Wind!" He called, "Take me home!" With a massive burst of cold air, he was launched off his feet and flew back to Burgess, arriving near the little lake soon after. Flying through the trees for about five minutes, he found his home - an ice Igloo he'd crafted himself, and he had to admit, the decoration inside was just divine, if he did say so himself. The walls were about a metre thick usually, as opposed to about five metres thick in the summer to stop it completely melting away, and he kept an icy fire flickering at all times whenever it was hot to keep it cooler through the day - hence why he felt such a strong blast of cold air when he neared the entrance. Adding some more ice to the outside of the walls, he decided it would be nice to have just the tiniest sprinkle Of snow tomorrow night - it was freezing at midnight after all, especially in summer (although winter snatched away first place). Crawling inside, the ice wolf following him in, Jack sighed, as he sat down on his glanced around at the frosty patters he had made on the walls over the years. Retiring to his bed, which was just a simply decorated block of ice, with a mattress he had made himself of soft straw and grass a few years ago. It took him a while to work it out, but by coating the vegetation with a soft sprinkle of snow when he wasn't inside meant that it stayed soft aNd fresh for up to five years, although it was difficult to get the consistency of the snow perfect all the time. As for a cover, he simply used his old animal skin cloak, that had belonged to him when he was the mortal Jackson Overland. After watching his memories, he was more attached to the cloak than ever, and it was arguably his most prized possession, save his staff, which, it turned out, was given to him by his father. Snuggling under it, curling into a ball so it covered most of him, Jack soon fell into a blissful and relaxed sleep.

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**I know it was short - sorry - but it just made sense to stop here. I will be updating soon though so I hope that is enough to justify this chapter!**

**Also, I only got one review last chapter which is quite upsetting. Hopefully the bonuses for reviewing (see Author's note above) will be enough to get you to leave some feedback.**

**So come on! I have a chapter ready-to-go as well! Read the preview below!**

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_Jack flew across the land and the sea, the refreshingly cool wind howling in his ears, heading for the little village he'd visited the week before. He'd almost finished his work for the morning, having created a few blizzards in the coldest of countries, and dusting everywhere else in a small covering of frost, with the occasional bit of snow. He knew the rules - he couldn't go around making it snow ridiculously in the middle of summer, or else he'd loose his powers and winters would be, once again, like they were three hundred years ago - the season of certain death. He was so glad seasons were different in opposite parts of the world, as this meant there was always winter, and whenever he didn't use his powers for a certain amount of time, usually a month or so, he lost control. Hence, the blizzard of sixty eight, when he had tried to not make it snow because he felt cruel in doing so, towards both Bunny and the World, and ended up not being able to contain it._

_After dusting the sweet little village with snow, he flew to the little house he'd visited before. He would have returned sooner, but he had been busy with his guardian work, as well as having quite a lot of snow to lay down - France had been due for a massive snowstorm, and bad as he felt about causing it, at least his storms were more tame than the natural equivalents._

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**Question: What animal did Jack make? One correct answerer will get a review of one of their stories!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Story: Rise of the Union****  
**

**_Full Story Summary: _My take on Rise of the Guardians 2 - Pitch has a new ally, and she's even darker than he is. This time, more is at stake than just children's happiness ; now, it's a fight to the death - The Guardians see Jack's memories, Pitch Black is Back, and MiM chooses a new guardian. This is set to be their biggest challenge to date! Jack Frost X OC , with some family bonding and pranks too!**

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_**To Starskulls : Lol, thanks for the review! It made me laugh! I'm glad you like it, and once again thanks!**_

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_**"Wind!" He called, "Take me home!" With a massive burst of cold air, he was launched off his feet and flew back to Burgess, arriving near the little lake soon after. Flying through the trees for about five minutes, he found his home - an ice Igloo he'd crafted himself, and he had to admit, the decoration inside was just divine, if he did say so himself. The walls were about a metre thick usually, as opposed to about five metres thick in the summer to stop it completely melting away, and he kept an icy fire flickering at all times whenever it was hot to keep it cooler through the day - hence why he felt such a strong blast of cold air when he neared the entrance. Adding some more ice to the outside of the walls, he decided it would be nice to have just the tiniest sprinkle Of snow tomorrow night - it was freezing at midnight after all, especially in summer (although winter snatched away first place). Crawling inside, the ice wolf following him in, Jack sighed, as he sat down on his glanced around at the frosty patters he had made on the walls over the years. Retiring to his bed, which was just a simply decorated block of ice, with a mattress he had made himself of soft straw and grass a few years ago. It took him a while to work it out, but by coating the vegetation with a soft sprinkle of snow when he wasn't inside meant that it stayed soft aNd fresh for up to five years, although it was difficult to get the consistency of the snow perfect all the time. As for a cover, he simply used his old animal skin cloak, that had belonged to him when he was the mortal Jackson Overland. After watching his memories, he was more attached to the cloak than ever, and it was arguably his most prized possession, save his staff, which, it turned out, was given to him by his father. Snuggling under it, curling into a ball so it covered most of him, Jack soon fell into a blissful and relaxed sleep.**_

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Jack flew across the land and the sea, the refreshingly cool wind howling in his ears, heading for the little village he'd visited the week before. He'd almost finished his work for the morning, having created a few blizzards in the coldest of countries, and dusting everywhere else in a small covering of frost, with the occasional bit of snow. He knew the rules - he couldn't go around making it snow ridiculously in the middle of summer, or else he'd loose his powers and winters would be, once again, like they were three hundred years ago - the season of certain death. He was so glad seasons were different in opposite parts of the world, as this meant there was always winter, and whenever he didn't use his powers for a certain amount of time, usually a month or so, he lost control. Hence, the blizzard of sixty eight, when he had tried to not make it snow because he felt cruel in doing so, towards both Bunny and the World, and ended up not being able to contain it.

After dusting the sweet little village with snow, he flew to the little house he'd visited before. He would have returned sooner, but he had been busy with his guardian work, as well as having quite a lot of snow to lay down - France had been due for a massive snowstorm, and bad as he felt about causing it, at least his storms were more tame than the natural equivalents.

Walking up to the door, he was surprised to find only the worried looking woman inside, which meant that all of the children were outside playing. The temperature was a little cold, so he was surprised that they would not be in the house - neglected and falling apart as it was, the building still provided some shelter from the cold at least. Flying up into the sky, he looked around, hovering as he attempted to find the location of the children, because there was no doubt in his mind that the girl he'd met before would be with them. After all, she had seemed to be so very protective of her younger siblings. He wasn't sure why he had such a strong desire to see her again, but something seemed... Important about her, and strange, too. How can you believe in something, and yet deny it so openly?

After a minute, or perhaps two or three, of searching, he discovered the children all playing around in the small amount of snow that coated the forest floor, and as he had expected, the older girl was with them as well, but her expression was grim and unhappy. Jack frowned - why couldn't she just be happy? Resolving himself to make her enjoy the moment later, he flew down to land close by.

"C'mon kids, keep your coats wrapped around you tightly! You don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose!" The girl said, and the children wrapped their clothes tighter around their thin bodies. It was only then that Jack noticed the oversized clothes were almost certainly new.

"Hey!" He called out, but the girl hardly turned at all, so she presumably knew Jack was there. "I don't nip at people's noses!" She then turned the slightest bit, her main attention focused on the children still, and she replied, "Are you stalking me?" by way of greeting.

"Not at all," Jack replied, "I simply wanted to come and chat with someone."

"Just go away. You aren't real. I don't want the kids to think I'm crazy and talking to myself - they'll get worried."

Hopping onto his staff, Jack sat next to her and grinned playfully, to which she returned a glare in annoyance. "What's wrong, anyway?" He asked, hopping down and walking next to her, making her move away, to which he huffed in mock-anger and skipped to her side once again.

"Something serious, so I wouldn't expect you to understand! You need to grow up and smell the roses, because you can't spend every second of every day being childish and silly. Learn to be compassionate and actually speak without cracking a joke every sentence, then come back. My siblings need me, and I have to set an example for them. I doubt if you have any siblings, you'd lift a finger to save their lives."

Jack's eyes widened in pain. "That hurts, you know. You have no idea what I'd do for my sister... Or at least, what I did..." He trailed off, and the girl turned her head to look at him quickly.

"Keep talking." She said, her voice a little softer but still demanding.

"It's private, sorry." Jack replied, "But I'll tell you this - if I could have a family, a real blood family, nowadays, I'd do anything." Clutching his staff tighter, he jumped into the air, preparing to take off and fly away, when the girl grabbed his hoodie.

"Wait... I'm sorry. Give me a moment and we'll talk." She said quietly, then turned to her family. "Everyone, get into pairs and go find some food!" she instructed, and the children let out an excited squeal of delight.

Once they had all gone, the girl returned her gaze to Jack.

"I'm sorry for what I said, I'm just worried and stressed right now." She said softly, and Jack sat on his staff, waiting. "But you just can't be real... It isnt possible, people can't fly!"

"Well, then, I'm no ordinary person." Jack replied, and the girl snorted.

"No no no! You aren't real - you are part of my imagination. You're dead, you are- what's wrong?"

Jack shook his head quickly, fiddling with his staff. "Nothing, nothing..." He mumbled, and the girl looked at him strangely. Noticing the staff in his hands, she frowned, and said, "Where on earth did you get that thing, anyway, and why do you always carry it around with you? It's really weird, looks like an antique or something."

"I guess it could be classed as antique, it's over three hundred years old. To answer your question, though, I use it to make snow and ice. You know, Jack Frost and all that?"

Scowling, the girl slapped him angrily.

"Quit with the jokes!" She whispered harshly, her teeth bared.

"Look, I'll prove it to you!" Jack cried back, "I'll make frost, I'll make it snow, I'll make ice! Just let me show you that it's real."

The girl snorted. "Fine, then. Make it snow." she commanded, and jack waved his staff, making soft snow fall gently to the ground around the pair. Jack raised his eyebrows by way of saying, "What did I tell you?" but the girl just shrugged. "It's cold weather. That was just a coincidence." she said, and Jack grinned wickedly.

"Oh, yeah?" He replied, and "Why don't you believe me?" He asked afterwards, discretely creating a patch of ice just in front of the girl.

"Because it's impossible!" She cried back, not realising Jack had asked her so she wouldn't notice his actions.

"Come here a minute," Jack said, beckoning her over, "Let me show you something." Frowning suspiciously, the girl stepped forward right onto the ice and, as the area was on a slight slope, fell over, but Jack caught her before she hit the ground - he knew how much that hurt. She began to slide downwards, and Jack hovered beside her, creating more and more ice as she picked up speed.

"What's going on?" She screamed in terror, and Jack laughed as he flew beside her on his back, hands under his head casually. "What are you doing?" She shouted, trying to grab hold of him as she slid along the ice on her back side. Deciding that was probably enough proof, Jack steeply curved the ice upwards, making the girl slide part way up, before sliding back down and coming to a stop a few seconds later. Taking care to place her feet off the ice, she stood up and slapped Jack on the cheek, and hard, too.

"Okay, I believe you, Frost, but that was completely irresponsible! I could have died!" She screamed, her hands clenched in fists.

"Don't worry, I had complete control of everything. I'm Jack Frost, remember. I control the weather, it does what I say."

"That isn't the point!" She snapped back, raising her hand, but then bringing it back. "I'm sorry..." She continued, her voice softer. "I'm just quite stressed out right now, is all... I shouldn't have acted like that towards you." Jack's eyes widened in surprise, as he hadn't expected the girl to get over it so quickly. "Anyway... If you are real, how come no one else sees you?" This shocked the Winter spirit even more, because it meant she openly believed he wasn't part of her imagination.

"Well, that's the rule, so to speak... If someone doesn't believe, they can't see me, and it is the same with the other Guardians."

"Guardians?" The girl queried.

"Well, there's me, Tooth, and she's the tooth fairy. Then there's North, who is Santa - isn't it Father Christmas in England -, Bunnymund, he's the easter bunny, and there's also Sandy - he's the sandman. We protect the children of the world."

The girl looked as if she'd just been told how to win the lottery each week in a row. Putting her hands in front of her, she said, "Hold on, hold on! So you mean to tell me all my childhood heroes are real? That's utter no sense - no offence by the way. Oh, and also, you say you protect the children of the world? How is snow protecting them, once again no offence meant."

"Yes, we are all real, and each of us has a different center... Our purpose, I guess. For example, North - he's the Guardian of Wonder, and Bunny's the guardian of Hope. Then Sandy's the guardian of dreams, and Tooth - she is the Guardian of memories. That's hy she collects teeth, see - they hold the most important memories to a person."

The girl frowned at Jack. "Then, what about you?" She asked.

"Me? I'm the spirit of fun." He replied, and true girl began to giggle a bit. "What?"

"Well" she began, twirling her hair in her fingers, the others are all so... Well, quite important, I guess, quite wise... And then you are there with fun."

"Hmm... Well, I am the youngest, so it's allowed." Jack reasoned. "Oh, and by the way, what's your name? I still don't know it."

"Oh, my name's Aimee. Aimee Windsor, and I'm sixteen. How about you? How old are you?"

Jack paused. It wasn't everyday you told someone you were the same age as them physically, but technically older than their grandparents' grandparents. "Uhhh... Depends how you look at it." he said lamely, and Aimee raised her eyebrows in puzzlement.

"And that means what, exactly?"

"Well, physically I'm seventeen, but in truth I'm... Actually, I'm not really sure. About three hundred and ten I think, give or take."

"..."

"It's part of the whole Spirit / Guardian thing - we're immortal. Hell, I expect Ol' Sandy's probably about seven or eight hundred years old!"

Aimee glared at him, before regaining her composure. "Sorry," She apologised, "I'm just-"

"Stressed." Jack finished for her. "Care to explain why?"

The girl took a deep breath, and ginger hair fell into her eyes when she looked down.

"Yeah, I guess it might help..." She reasoned, "I need to go home and see how my Mother is, so I'll talk on the way."

"What about your siblings?" Jack pondered.

"It's gotten cooler now, they'll probably be home... If you can call it a home, anyway."

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**There we go! Extra long chappie for you guys! I hope you liked it! And please review, it'll make me update faster!**

**I think you get the idea. :P Preview for the next chapter below!**

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_Aimee walked for about ten minutes, and it was then that Jack noticed she wore a thin, pathetic excuse for a pair of shoes, and instantly felt sorry for her. He was fine walking bare footed on ice, for he was, after all, Jack Frost, and with his body being impossibly cold as it was, he wasn't affected. However, the sixteen year old girl was mortal, and was by no means an ice spirit, so in truth, he was surprised her feet weren't coated in (natural) icicles._

_Once they reached the house, Aimee went inside and Jack remained out. She had invited him in, but the Guardian of Fun knew that wherever he went, he made the temperature drop, and he didn't want the shivering family to freeze even more, so he stayed where he was. A few minutes later, Aimee returned outside, a soft looking blanket thrown over her shoulders, fashioned like a shawl, and she looked quite a lot warmer than she had done earlier._

_"Let's go for a walk," she whispered, "I don't want my family to think I'm talking to myself." _


	5. Chapter 4

**Story: Rise of the Union****  
**

**_Full Story Summary: _My take on Rise of the Guardians 2 - Pitch has a new ally, and she's even darker than he is. This time, more is at stake than just children's happiness ; now, it's a fight to the death - The Guardians see Jack's memories, Pitch Black is Back, and MiM chooses a new guardian. This is set to be their biggest challenge to date! Jack Frost X OC , with some family bonding and pranks too!**

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_**River the witch Girl : Haha, thanks for the review - I swear I'm going to get fat soon if I'm not careful from all of your free cookies! :D**_

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**_Aimee glared at him, before regaining her composure. "Sorry," She apologised, "I'm just-"_**

**_"Stressed." Jack finished for her. "Care to explain why?"_**

**_The girl took a deep breath, and ginger hair fell into her eyes when she looked down._**

**_"Yeah, I guess it might help..." She reasoned, "I need to go home and see how my Mother is, so I'll talk on the way."_**

**_"What about your siblings?" Jack pondered._**

**_"It's gotten cooler now, they'll probably be home... If you can call it a home, anyway."_**

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Aimee walked for about ten minutes, and it was then that Jack noticed she wore a thin, pathetic excuse for a pair of shoes, and instantly felt sorry for her. He was fine walking bare footed on ice, for he was, after all, Jack Frost, and with his body being impossibly cold as it was, he wasn't affected. However, the sixteen year old girl was mortal, and was by no means an ice spirit, so in truth, he was surprised her feet weren't coated in (natural) icicles.

Once they reached the house, Aimee went inside and Jack remained out. She had invited him in, but the Guardian of Fun knew that wherever he went, he made the temperature drop, and he didn't want the shivering family to freeze even more, so he stayed where he was. A few minutes later, Aimee returned outside, a soft looking blanket thrown over her shoulders, fashioned like a shawl, and she looked quite a lot warmer than she had done earlier.

"Let's go for a walk," she whispered, "I don't want my family to think I'm talking to myself." Jack smiled, and murmured "Trust me," in her ear. "Close your eyes." He commanded gently, and Aimee did as she was told, willingly. Talking her hand, Jack whispered "Trust me" very softly once again, and flew up a few feet above the ground. When he didn't return back down, Aimee opened her eyes to a squint, and gasped when she realised she was hovering above the ground.

"Jack-" she began, her voice filled with a trace of panic, but the Winter Spirit wouldn't allow her to finish.

"It's okay, I've got you. I've done this before, so don't worry, okay?" He reassured her, and she nodded, her grip on Jack's uncomfortably cold hand tightening, but she didnt say anything. Jack hovered a little higher, and then began to fly forward, hoping desperately that Aimee would calm down and relax soon - he could no longer feel his hand. Thankfully, she soon did loosen her grip a little when she realised that she was actually safe, and Jack wouldn't drop her, although she couldnt exactly fall far, only n being about a metre above ground. Never the less, Jack remembered the first time he ever flew, and it certainly scared him at the start. It was only natural.

about half a minute later, Jack touched back down and Aimee, who was by now grinning like a madwoman, sat down upon a frost covered log.

"So, you did all of this?" She asked, indicating to the ice and snow, and Jack nodded in reply as he cast upon his staff. "I must say, it's very pretty." To which the Icy boy nodded any way of gratitude.

"Anyway, though... What was wrong earlier? You were so stressed." He said in return, and Aimee's smile disappeared.

"Well, you won't understand unless I start from the beginning, so..." She paused, swallowing nervously. "I'm sorry. I've never told anyone anything like this - actually, come to think of it, I've never spoken to anyone not in my family." Jack felt sorry for her - he knew even better than she did what it was like to have no one to talk to, to relate to even.

"Well, my Mother came from a very rich family, and when I say very, I **mean** very. Anyway, when she was growing up, he was fine, but then when she was seven her Mother died, and her father didn't re-marry. Now, don't take this the wrong way please, but I'm sure you know what some men can be like when they... Need release, let's say, and my Mother's Father was one of those men."

Aimee paused, picking up a stick and fiddling with it a little uncomfortably.

"Well, when she was ten, her Father couldn't contain himself anymore, and he used her in his time of need, what with her being the only woman in the house by now. A few months later, she went on to find out she was having a child, and too ashamed to admit it to anyone, she grabbed as much money as she could, so about one thousand pounds in notes, and fleed her home. She then went on to find an old, abandoned building and set up her home there, having enough provisions to enable her to keep her money stashed away. None the less, she learned to catch rabbits illegally and did so until she was about seven months pregnant, when she was just too fat and ha to live on her provisions she'd bought long ago."

Once again, Aimee paused, and Jack could tell the subject was hard to talk about.

"Anyway, she went on to have me, and somehow she managed to make the cash last six years, mixed with catching wild prey and buying ten pence loaves of almost gone off bread. After that, however, she became desperate. She had no grades, having never attended school once she ran away, and therefore she couldn't get a proper job, so in a desperate attempt to support me and her, she sold her body once, and charged a high price - those types of men enjoyed fresh girls."

The last sentence was spat out, and Jack could tell she was extremely bitter about the subject.

"Anyway, trust my mother's luck, she became a pregnant once again, and at this time I was six. Well, she then gave birth, and to her horror, it was twins, a boy and a girl, whom she named Jessica and Robert. This time, the money only lasted a year, and soon she had to get some more money, so she did.

"We were fine for two years, but then Mother found out she was pregnant once again, and then during a rather heavy snowfall one year, *cough cough* she gave birth to triplets, but two were stillborn. The survivng child, a little boy, she named Samuel. After this, three hard years later, she became pregnant again and had another little boy called Joshua, and finally a year after, she had a girl named Alisha, wh is now five. You see this new blanket? We've only got it because Mum managed to earn extra this month, but I hate it so when she does, because I know what she has to do to earn it."

Jack paused, frowning.

"Wait a minute," he said, "I thought the English government offered... Uhh, it begins with B..."

"Benefits?" Aimee suggested, and Jack nodded. "They do, but the problem is that my Mother was supposed to be dead - I forgot that part. Everyone just assumed she'd been kidnapped and killed, and whenever she went shopping or went out in public at all, she was so skinny and her hair was so thin, heavy and dull, no one recognised her, not compared to the lively bouncy girl with full, beautiful hair and gorgeus, supermodel looks. She'd never admit to being alive, and still won't - she's scared her Father or one of her brothers, or anyone really, would track her and us down. She can't trust people, she lost the ability when she was younger."

Jack paused, not knowing what to say - what did you say in this sort of situation? He wanted to help as well, but what could he do?

"I'm sorry, Jack - I'm beginning to get cold, and I need to get home to help my mother anyway. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow?"

He was about to nod, but then shook his head quickly.

"That's not all, is it?" he asked, and Aimee reluctantly shook her head. "Care to elaborate?"

"I-" She began, "Well, my mother... She's - She's..." A small sob escaped her lips, "Oh, Jack... She's having another baby!"

The winter spirit's face fell when he realised the seriousness of Aimee's problem, and even he, the spirit of fun and joy, could not think of anything to make her feel better.

"I'll see you later," The poor girl muttered, and then ran off, sobbing, and anyone could tell she was petrified what would happen to her secret family. It was bad enough they had to find their own food illegally in the woods that surrounded the small village, but non-poisonous mushrooms, wild berries, and the odd rabbit could hardly fill a large family's stomachs. He knew he had to help them, but how could he? As a guardian, he had to follow the rules of countries, or he'd have his guardianship stripped from him - a protector of children couldn't go around robbing shops and setting a bad example, whether children knew of it, or him. He flew home to his pond in Burgess, desperately trying to think of a way to help the family. There were children's lives at risk, and it was his duty to help.

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**Just to say, I've only realised now that America and the UK are in the same hemisphere (I think that's the right term) so they don't have different seasons like Australians and British people do (for example, summer in Australia = winter in UK). So... just imagine that they had different seasons, Okay?**

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_Jack returned to his pond, and was annoyed to find that his home, the beautifully crafted ice-igloo, had melted away completely for the first time in three hundred years, and slammed his staff on the ground, making a layer of ice spread from the staff's end, his anger at the day released. First Aimee had realised that her family was in trouble, and now, his home, which he had so lovingly crafted, had gone. Of course, his problem was nothing compared __to the English girl's, but still, it fired up his fury. Flying to Santoff Clausen in a grump, he sped past the yetis, who began complaining to him in their own language, and then began to argue with each other, but Jack didn't notice. Flying into North's office, he was greeted by a grumpy North who then began moaning about how no one ever knocked, although he did agree to offer Jack a bed for the night, but only because he was a guardian. _

_That night, laying in the soft bed of his room, Jack rubbed his head, his anger completely dissolved. As he rested there, staring at the ceiling, he wondered why everyone seemed to be in such a bad mood, just before he drifted off into the peaceful world of slumber, awaking the next morning feeling completely refreshed. It was then, as he picked up his staff, that he remembered he was a guardian, and a guardian of joy at that. It was then that it became clear to him - his feelings were reflected upon everyone else. Holding his staff tightly, he grinned, and set out to fix everyone's bad mood._


	6. Chapter 5

**Story: Rise of the Union****  
**

**_Full Story Summary: _My take on Rise of the Guardians 2 - Pitch has a new ally, and she's even darker than he is. This time, more is at stake than just children's happiness ; now, it's a fight to the death - The Guardians see Jack's memories, Pitch Black is Back, and MiM chooses a new guardian. This is set to be their biggest challenge to date! Jack Frost X OC , with some family bonding and pranks too!**

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_**"I'll see you later," The poor girl muttered, and then ran off, sobbing, and anyone could tell she was petrified what would happen to her secret family. It was bad enough they had to find their own food illegally in the woods that surrounded the small village, but non-poisonous mushrooms, wild berries, and the odd rabbit could hardly fill a large family's stomachs. He knew he had to help them, but how could he? As a guardian, he had to follow the rules of countries, or he'd have his guardianship stripped from him - a protector of children couldn't go around robbing shops and setting a bad example, whether children knew of it, or him. He flew home to his pond in Burgess, desperately trying to think of a way to help the family. There were children's lives at risk, and it was his duty to help.**_

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Jack returned to his pond, and was annoyed to find that his home, the beautifully crafted ice-igloo, had melted away completely for the first time in three hundred years, and slammed his staff on the ground, making a layer of ice spread from the staff's end, his anger at the day released. First Aimee had realised that her family was in trouble, and now, his home, which he had so lovingly crafted, had gone. Of course, his problem was nothing compared to the English girl's, but still, it fired up his fury. Flying to Santoff Clausen in a grump, he sped past the yetis, who began complaining to him in their own language, and then began to argue with each other, but Jack didn't notice. Flying into North's office, he was greeted by a grumpy North who then began moaning about how no one ever knocked, although he did agree to offer Jack a bed for the night, but only because he was a guardian.

That night, laying in the soft bed of his room, Jack rubbed his head, his anger completely dissolved. As he rested there, staring at the ceiling, he wondered why everyone seemed to be in such a bad mood, just before he drifted off into the peaceful world of slumber, awaking the next morning feeling completely refreshed. It was then, as he picked up his staff, that he remembered he was a guardian, and a guardian of joy at that. It was then that it became clear to him - his feelings were reflected upon everyone else. Holding his staff tightly, he grinned, and set out to fix everyone's bad mood.

Indeed, when Jack walked into the large kitchen that North had built himself, all the yetis working there seemed to be happier than they had earlier. They were still talking in yetish, of course, so it wasn't easy to tell if they were in a good mood or not, but they appeared more bouncy, and that was enough for Jack. Grabbing some of the meal that North had told the yetis to prepare for him, which consisted of mince pies, cookies and a glass of milk (trust North to order him that for breakfast!) and then went to the massive, walk in fridge to grab some more food rations. He was glad, certainly, that he was Jack Frost, because otherwise he'd have been freezing to death in his simple clothing.

The fridge was stocked with all sorts of food, and even though he had eaten not a minute ago, Jack's mouth began to water. Deciding the family could use some decent meat, he grabbed a large hunk of pre-cooked ham, which was really heavy and would definitely stop the poor English family's stomach from watering. After all, even though Jack knew they hunted small animals, gathered wild fruits and vegetables and occasionally actually went to the supermarket, their food rations must have been small. There are only so many rabbits people could catch a day, and one little bunny would hardly fill a group of eight people, one of whom was eating for two, and in the winter it would be even harder, because the creatures would stay in their burrows more. Very little vegetation would be growing either.

Freezing the meat to keep it fresh, he placed it in a bag and then grabbed a variety of vegetables as well, which included carrots, peas, sweetcorn, cauliflower, and broccoli. He then took some fruits, especially bananas, apples and strawberries, as well as one large pineapple - he just hoped the family had a knife.

By now, the bag, which was massive anyway, was completely full, and Jack felt his insides warm up when he imagined the children's delight, and the mother's joyfulness, when they found his gift. In his mind's eye, he could see Aimee, and could picture her smiling, and how lovely that would be to witness, instead of her seemingly trademark frown of worry.

Placing the heavy bag on his hooked staff, which he was certain had once been used to round up and herd sheep, hundreds of years ago, he flew out of the elephantine walk-in fridge and soared out of the kitchen, ignoring the annoyed sounds coming from the yetis. Hurriedly leaving Santoff Clausen, he sped through the air, glad he had tied the bag up when it fell from his wooden staff. Cheering in excitement and glee, Jack dove after the plummeting bag of food, because he knew he wouldn't loose it - after all, he could simply make some ice to catch it if worst came to worst. Indeed, he did succeed in retrieving it, and zoomed through the air, almost resembling a dolphin leaping from the water as he flew up and down, in an arced movement, the wind blowing through his snow white hair.

Not long after, Jack reached England, dusting the country with light, soft snow as he flew over it, before returning to the countryside village where Aimee lived. Finding her house, he flew to the door and knocked, not sure as to how many people would actually be able to hear the noise it made, considering only the eldest daughter knew of his existence.

Indeed, it was she who answered the door, and she smiled a weak grin when she saw him - he was glad she considered him a friend. Greeting her warmly with a fleeting hug, he gestured for her to follow him and led her to the side of the old hut the family called home. It was a quick embrace simply because Jack was afraid people would think badly of him when they discovered he was technically dead. At least he wasn't a rotting, 300 year old corpse, though. That would be worse.

"C'mon," Jack whispered, as Aimee looked curiously at the bag. "Open it!" She glanced at him, her eyes wide in hope, and the moment she opened the bag, she breather in and then let out a sigh of pleasure - no doubt the food's aroma was making her mouth water.

"Jack, what can I say? Thank you so much!" Being slightly shorter than him, Aimee stood on her toes and wrapped her warm arms around Jack's unnaturaly cold body, yet she didn't flinch away. When she rested her head against his neck though, Jack backed up, knowing Full well a person's pulse could be found there. Aimee frowned at him, before she just shrugged.

"Come inside," she said, "It's just me and my brothers and sisters, because Mum is out working - thankfully, it'a a Normal job, working as a pig keeper at the local farm for a few hours. Shame it's only a trial, to see if she's any good, but it is such a simple job the farmer doesn't need any paperwork. So that's good."

Jack hesitated.

"Aimee... I couldn't. I'll make it colder in there. I mean, I don't intend to, I just-"

The girl places her finger on his icy lips.

"You're Jack Frost, so I think I can let you off." She paused for a moment. "And you are the first friend I've ever had, so there." Taking his hand and leading him inside, she added, "And besides, my siblings would kill to find out who I keep talking to. They really are great stalkers, dammit."

Jack laughed, and his tension at Aimee's touching his hand eased. What harm could it do, after all? He knew the family did have some warm new clothes as well, he knew, so at least his preaence wouldn't be too chilling. Besides, no one really seemed to mind his cold - Tooth had once pointed out that it had a joyful, happy side to the cold that made people feel warmer inside, anyway.

If that wasn't enough, he could always use more believers anyway.

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**Okay, here is the new... rule, I guess. The more reviews you guys leave, the quicker I update! And don't think "Ah, someone else will do it" either, because on average I get one or two reviews per chapter!**

**Pathetic!**

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_Jack walked inside the little wooden house, and indeed, the mother was no where in sight. The children were all huddled around a small fire warming their hands, and when Aimee opened the bag of food, they began squealing like a person who had gotten the newest gadget for their birthday. Admittedly, Jack wasn't too keen on the technology of the twenty first century ; the twentieth had been bad enough! With children always playing on their computer games, never coming off them it seemed, they had less time to spend outside, enjoying his beautiful, if a bit, okay, very, chilly snow, but who cared about its temperature, right? Not a hundred years ago, most children would be outside playing when the first speck of snow fell, and now, it was only when there was actually a thick layer of snow that they would run outside, screaming in delight. Of course, it was still nice, and children still enjoyed it, but the experience was more short-lived than it had been back in the day. Jack even remembered vaguely playing in the snow on that christmas day when his younger sister, Emma, had been born, and it was one of the few memories he had that hadn't been in his memory box. _


	7. Chapter 6

**Story: Rise of the Union**

**_Full Story Summary: _****My take on Rise of the Guardians 2 - Pitch has a new ally, and she's even darker than he is. This time, more is at stake than just children's happiness ; now, it's a fight to the death - The Guardians see Jack's memories, Pitch Black is Back, and MiM chooses a new guardian. This is set to be their biggest challenge to date! Jack Frost X OC , with some family bonding and pranks too!**

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**_"Come inside," she said, "It's just me and my brothers and sisters, because Mum is out working - thankfully, it'a a Normal job, working as a pig keeper at the local farm for a few hours. Shame it's only a trial, to see if she's any good, but it is such a simple job the farmer doesn't need any paperwork. So that's good."_**

**_Jack hesitated._**

**_"Aimee... I couldn't. I'll make it colder in there. I mean, I don't intend to, I just-"_**

**_The girl places her finger on his icy lips._**

**_"You're Jack Frost, so I think I can let you off." She paused for a moment. "And you are the first friend I've ever had, so there." Taking his hand and leading him inside, she added, "And besides, my siblings would kill to find out who I keep talking to. They really are great stalkers, dammit."_**

**_Jack laughed, and his tension at Aimee's touching his hand eased. What harm could it do, after all? He knew the family did have some warm new clothes as well, he knew, so at least his preaence wouldn't be too chilling. Besides, no one really seemed to mind his cold - Tooth had once pointed out that it had a joyful, happy side to the cold that made people feel warmer inside, anyway._**

**_If that wasn't enough, he could always use more believers_**

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Jack walked inside the little wooden house, and indeed, the mother was no where in sight. The children were all huddled around a small fire warming their hands, and when Aimee opened the bag of food, they began squealing like a person who had gotten the newest gadget for their birthday. Admittedly, Jack wasn't too keen on the technology of the twenty first century ; the twentieth had been bad enough! With children always playing on their computer games, never coming off them it seemed, they had less time to spend outside, enjoying his beautiful, if a bit, okay, very, chilly snow, but who cared about its temperature, right? Not a hundred years ago, most children would be outside playing when the first speck of snow fell, and now, it was only when there was actually a thick layer of snow that they would run outside, screaming in delight. Of course, it was still nice, and children still enjoyed it, but the experience was more short-lived than it had been back in the day. Jack even remembered vaguely playing in the snow on that christmas day when his younger sister, Emma, had been born, and it was one of the few memories he had that hadn't been in his memory box.

"Okay, kids, settle down!" Aimee said affectionately, clearly terribly fond of the children, "Now, you know I was talking to someone yesterday?" All the children nodded, and Jack felt his heart racing. He was sat next to Aimee, and she could sense his nervousness, so she placed her hand gently on his leg to reassure him.

"Okay, so... Well, this is going to sound really weird. Do you know the myth, Jack Frost?" The six children nodded, and Aimee continued. "Okay, so don't jump to any conclusions or anything, but... He's real. He's the person I've been talking to."

The younger children looked excited at the prospect, but the two eldest twins - Jessica and Robert - who were ten didn't seem so impressed.

"You expect us to believe that, Aimee!" Jessica asked sharply, her voice harsh, especially for a ten year old. How could a child so young be so serious, having to take responsibility at such a young age. "The others might, but we know those sorts of people don't exist. I mean, none of us have ever received a Christmas gift, which means Santa is definitely not real, so how could Jack Frost be real?" She scowled at Aimee, and her blonde hair swished around her face as she turned to go.

The younger children'a faces fell, as did Jack's hopes. He had honestly thought that at least some of them would see him.

"I know it sounds silly, Jess, but it's true. He bought us all this food - where else would I get it? I can't buy food anywhere." The girl spun back around.

"Prove it, then. If Jack Frost is here, why can't I see him?"

"Uhh..." Aimee paused, racking her memory for the information, and Jack quickly reminded her. "You can't see him if you don't believe." She stated simply. Jack grinned as he saw a little flicker of hope in the young children's faces. Maybe they would believe, after all!

"That's not enough! I could say the easter bunny's real, you just cant see him, but would you believe me?"

Aimee paused. "Jack says-" She began, but she was cut off by the grumpy ten year old.

"Forget it! You can tell all the others, if you want, but I'm not stupid!" She stormed to the other side of the small room, grabbing an apple as she passed and munching on it hungrily. Aimee looked over at Jack, her eyes glistening with tears.

_The poor girl's got so much stress on her shoulders, _Jack thought, _and_ _she's only a girl. She's got the weight of her family to support as well as the worry of having her mother pregnant once again. They're in trouble enough as it is, and I can't afford to help them with food all the time._

"It's okay Aimee," He reassured, this time he was being the strong one, "She'll come around."

Aimee nodded. "Okay, kids." She said, wiping her tears away from her eyes, and clapping her hands together. "I want you to believe in Jack Frost. Do you believe in him?" The remaining children all nodded, although both the 16 year old girl and 310 year old boy (give or take a few years) knew it wasn't true - none of the children even glanced at Jack, but still. Even the eldest boy, Robert, who didn't seem to be convinced that Jack was real was at least playing along.

"Jack's about my age." Aimee continued, not bothering to confuse the young children with the fact that he was actually about three hundred, especially since she didn't completely understand. "He's a little taller than me, and he's wearing a blue hoodie, with brown leggings. He doesn't have any shoes, it's really weird." She laughed lightly. "He's got really cold skin, and-"

Jessica looked sharply at her sister. "And how do you know that!" She demanded, a look of disgust on her face, and Aimee blushed embarrased at what she was implying. The girl really was too mature for her age, and her twin brother had begun to look at his elder sister with a frown now as well. Meanwhile, the younger children just looked on confused, and Jack had hidden his head in his hands in embarrassment. "It's not like that, Jess." Aimee said, but the girl looked unconvinced. "He's taken me flying with him, so I was holding his hand or I'd fall. Oh, and yes, I know how impossible that sounds, but it's true. I'll get him to show you in a minute."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Jess cried and spun around.

"Hey," Jack said, "Look at it this way. I think she might be starting to believe in me." Aimee smiled a bit, upset that her sister thought so poorly of her, but at least maybe she'd believe soon?

"What else, Aimee?" One of the younger girls asked, and Aimee smiled warmly at her, trying not to seem saddened. "Well, he has snow white hair, literally snow white, and really pale skin, almost like he is sickly if I'm honest." Turning to Jack she added, "No offence," and Jack lifted his hand to say 'None taken'. "But then, he doesn't actually look sickly. His eyes are really happy, playful and cheeky, and he always seems to be happy."

Just then, the youngest child, Alesha, looked up, and smiled, her gaze focusing directly on Jack.

"Hi, mr Frosty!" She giggled, and ran over to him and jumped. Caught by surprise, Jack nearly missed her, but in the end, he caught her, spinning her around and laughing with glee.

"She sees me! She sees me, Aimee!" He cried, laughing as he played with the five year old, and the eldest daughter smiled warmly at the boy before her. She sighed happily - he seemed so good with kids, so infatuated with them. She wondered if he'd ever had siblings of his own, once.

To the rest of the family, who saw the youngest spinning around in the air as if she were flying, it was a strange sight, before they eventually realised that what Aimee had been saying all along was true, and they believed in Jack. The winter spirit laughed with glee, and he felt so full of joy at the new believers, as he swung them around and tickled them, playing. Aimee let out another sigh, smiling gently and wondering why she felt so warm inside. No doubt it was the joy of the moment. When Jessica looked around to see her siblings all seemingly flying through the air, the girl looked at Aimee, who nodded, and she glanced at Jack. He knew that the ten year old could see him, and he beckoned her over, but she just walked over to the bag of food and sat there, not participating in the games but smiling slightly. Clearly, she just wasn't the playful type.

Once the children (including Jack, Aimee mused) had calmed down, Aimee pulled the food out of the bag and, producing a very sharp knife from a nearby shelf, cut some ham for everyone. She sliced the hock into 8 pieces: one for each of her siblings, as well as a bit for herself and Jack, and two for her mother, who so often went without meals to allow her family to at least eat a bit. She pushed the vegetables to the side, muttering about making a stew later as a surprise for her mother, and cut the pineapple into large portions to share, although Jack sat the fruit out - he wasn't at all hungry anyway after the ham, as well as his breakfast not too long earlier, so why take food from the hungry family? Aimee then found a cardboard box, and placed all the additional leftovers in it, and Jack proceeded to freeze it, so that the food would be preserved.

"C'mon, kids!" She said cheerfully to the, for once, full up family, "Why waste the chance to play in the snow?" The children screeched in excitement, pulling on their new, oversized, furry clothes, and they all ran outside, excited. Aimee looked over at Jack as he turned to leave, and took his hand, pulling him around.

"Thanks, Jack." She said gently, "For everything." Walking outside, she bent down and picked up some snow in her hand, and then paused, looking at him, then she cried cheekily, and threw the snow ball at the wintery Guardian. The freezing sphere met its mark, right between his eyes, and Jack jumped back in surprise.

"Ooh, you..." He muttered, and scooped some snow from the ground, and he glared cheekily at Aimee, while she looked on in mock horror as he froze the snow ball and she ran screaming happily, grateful for the release and a chance to be herself. Jack grinned largely when he realised that she was happy, and not worried, and felt joyful inside. Throwing the frozen snowball, it hit her in the back of the head and she fell over in the snow, laughing extra by this point. Jack helped her up, which was a mistake as she pulled him down as she rose, but he didn't release his grip on her hand and they both ended up rolling down the slight slope on which the family's wooden home stood, laughing gleefully. They came to a stop at the bottom, still laughing, when they heard a small girl's scream - a scream of terror. Looking at each other with wide, worried eyes, Jack grabbed her hand and flew through the forest, following the petrified shrieks until they reached a clearing. The five other children were hiding behind a tree, whereas the small child was backing up onto a frozen pond, followed by a large black... panther?

Jack's breath caught in his throat, and he knew what was going to happen before it did. Zooming towards the panther, he snarled and the creature bolted, just as the young girl on this ice screamed and plummeted out of sight. In the few seconds it took Jack to reach her, the ice had frozen over solid, and the child's delicate fingers were scratching the ice desperately.

Jack tried to crack the ice, but it had grown thick by now, and the girl's struggles were becoming slower. Quickly, Jack flew high into the air, high above the trees, despite Aimee's cries of "Jack, help me!", and stopped after a second or so. Facing downwards, he plummeted towards the ground, his fist clenched and he hit the ice, which shattered, ice flying everywhere. Grabbing the small child, he flew quickly out of the pond and threw the girl to Aimee, knowing full well that if she had any chance of survival, it was not in his numbing arms. Aimee clutched her sister protectively to her chest, and Jack flew them to the small house. Placing Aimee down, he began to gather all the spare blankets and clothes in the house, which wasn't many, and wrapped them around the two girls. Quickly gathering a piece of wood, he managed to find a box of matches labeled 'emergency', and grabbed one out. Lighting it, he set the wood alight and then added more sticks to the fire. The family, it seemed, was actually more prepared than he'd thought.

The rest of the children came in soon after, and Jack instructed them to huddle around Aimee and Alesha, praying their body warmth would be enough, combined with the heat of the fire, to keep the child alive.

He began shaking, reliving his memories, ignoring the cuts on his arms and face that he knew would take a long time to heal, much longer than the average living being. The pain was intense, he was aware of this, but he could only feel the slightest tingle compared to the worry he felt.

He'd nearly lost a sister to the freezing depths of ice once. He wasn't willing to let Aimee loose someone to it, either, and especially considering it was his fault, all of the ice, although it had frozen over much to quickly...

Looking out of the window, he saw the panther's bright yellow eyes again, and he snarled, zooming out to try and catch the creature. By the time he was outside, it had gone.

* * *

**Ooh! Something's brewing! Please review! **

**Oh, and sorry I haven't updated, but this one's extra long to make up for it!**


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